Pie in the Middle Muffins

I think my new theme for the food blog is going to be after school snacks. Don’t worry, I’ll get to sharing other fantastic recipes soon enough but it seems that my recipe searches as of late are centered around finding easy to prepare, good after school snacks. I’m also still on the apple theme, probably because we’re looking at going apple picking in a few weekends. This is not my original recipe but rather comes out of one of my Taste of Home magazines. This muffin is labor intensive if you’re chopping the apples and making the apple filling … Continue reading →

The Sneaky Mama’s Chunky Apple Pumpkin Bread

My daughter has recently discovered the joys of pumpkin. This makes us very happy because it adds yet one more color of food to her repertoire. Now she’ll eat orange (pumpkin) and brown foods (fries and chicken nuggets). Actually, as many of you already know, I’m pretty good at sneaking stuff into my kids’ food without their knowledge so she does actually have a diet more broad than brown and orange–she just doesn’t know it. In any case, if you’re looking for back to school snacks this bread wins my vote. It’s bursting with good for you pumpkin and apples … Continue reading →

Basic Sweet Dough Rolls

First of all, let me say a big thank you to Michele, Tristi, and Mary Ann who contributed to the food blog this week. For those of you who don’t know, I had the pleasure of jury duty. While others complained of their unfortunate lot in life for having to serve, I sat there child free. . .in the quiet. . .for several hours. No complaining here–but I’m glad to be back and working on bringing you food news and great recipes! (My husband is also especially glad not to be flying solo anymore.) Someone recently asked me if I … Continue reading →

Bread Machine: Ricotta Bread

If you are looking for a bread machine recipe that you can add to your personal home recipes, this may just be the one. This yummy, moist bread is a favorite in my household. I usually make three or four loaves a month. The ricotta cheese gives the bread extra protein, which is always good when it comes to growing kids. This bread is so good that I once accidentally left out the butter and no one even noticed. It wasn’t until I opened up the microwave later in the day (that is where I melt my butter) and found … Continue reading →

Italian Bread for The Bread Machine

Here is a great little recipe that is full of flavor. If you don’t have a bread machine, you can always make this bread by hand. When you think of Italian bread, you probably picture a long white roll of white-type bread that has a nice crispy outside and a fluffy middle. While I love traditional italian bread, this recipe produces something a little different. This is a soft bread that takes its flavor from traditional Italian herbs. It is fragrant and wonderful; a very savory bread. I first made this bread to use up some fresh Italian oregano that … Continue reading →

Tiny Biscuits

Breaking away from commercial biscuit mixes is not that difficult to do. Yummy biscuits made from scratch require only an extra ingredient or two. The taste (and the cost) are well worth it! I finally found a great scratch biscuit recipe. I think you will really like it. These biscuits are light and tasty. Best of all? You can make them as a drop biscuit, eliminating the rolling and cutting steps. Drop biscuits are formed by “dropping” spoonfuls of dough onto your cookie sheet and then baking. For this recipe, I like to form tiny little biscuits, using a scant … Continue reading →

Pecan Caramel Cinnamon Rolls

This is not the easiest recipe in the world and you will definitely earn your accolades. There will be no fibbing about how you spent hours in the kitchen–you will indeed spend hours in the kitchen making this. However, if you like baking bread or you want something absolutely heavenly for breakfast. . .this is it! This is actually a combination of three recipes: the best sweet roll dough I’ve ever made (handed down from my grandmother), my own cinnamon roll filling, and a topping made with ice cream that I got from Quick Cooking several years ago. If you … Continue reading →

Delicious Pumpkin Bread–Bring Back the Holidays!

Autumn and winter scents fill kitchens and homes with smells of the holiday season. Wonderful autumn foods are prepared and enjoyed, and there seems to be an endless flow of baked breads and desserts. After the holidays are over, the baking seems to stop and we all go back to store-bought goodies. Baking homemade bread, especially dessert style bread, is much easier than you may think. I am thrilled to share this recipe for Pumpkin Bread with you. Biting into this bread brings you back into the holiday season. Pumpkin bread can be made all year round thanks to canned … Continue reading →

Make your own Sourdough Bread

I like to make my own Sourdough Bread. I have made it for several years now. I think it’s easy to keep up and it allows me to have sourdough bread all year around. To make Sourdough Bread, you need to first make your starter. The starter contains three ingredients. You simply use from your starter to make your dough. Sourdough Bread Starter What you need: 3 Tablespoons of instant potato flakes 3 Tablespoons of sugar 1 cup of warm water How to make it: Mix all ingredients together in a glass jar. Cover and let it set at room … Continue reading →

Make your own Pita Bread

I learned when my kids started going to school that their sandwiches would sometimes be soggy. My boys are older now and they don’t get to eat their lunch until about 1:00. So when they do get a chance to eat, they don’t want their sandwich to fall apart. I have experimented with several breads, such as hamburger buns and sub buns. The kids complained that this was too much bread and asked if I could come up with something better. I decided to use pita bread. It tastes great and you can put anything on it. So I started … Continue reading →